Nob Hill Masonic

The moment was a bit surreal for Antony Hegarty. He was headlining San Francisco’s Nob Hill Masonic Center on Tuesday night, performing in front of a packed house of some 2,500 fans during the opening concert of the 17th annual Noise Pop Festival, and yet he couldn’t help but think back to his teenage years spent in the Bay Area.

“It’s weird to pull into the city and see Union Square and say, `Oh, I use to beg for money on that corner,” remarked the 37-year-old vocalist, who went to high school in San Jose before leaving to make his mark in New York City.

Hegarty has indeed come a long way. His band, Antony and the Johnsons, has quickly risen to become one of the most acclaimed acts in the music business. The West Sussex native’s second full-length, 2005’s “I Am a Bird Now,” won the prestigious Mercury Prize, given out to the best album by a British artist, and his latest platter, the recently released “The Crying Light,” has received rave reviews.

The group’s Masonic outing definitely lived up to the advance hype. More so, it served to underscore what’s becoming increasingly clear: Hegarty is one of the most important voices to come along in many years.

Performing with a string quartet, full of versatile players that also added electric guitar and saxophone in spots, as well as a bassist and drummer, the androgynous front man showcased his stunning voice for nearly two hours. He’s blessed with an uncommonly light and brittle tenor, one that does not immediately signal the singer’s gender. It’s both reminiscent of many other great singers, such as Andy Bey, Jimmy Scott, Bryan Ferry, Alison Moyet and Nina Simone, and entirely distinctive.

That voice is complemented by unusual musical arrangements, mixing chamber-pop with cabaret, British folk with Broadway, as well as by highly moving lyrics. Those aspects gelled to the greatest extent at the Masonic on “For Today I Am a Boy,” a track from “I Am a Bird Now” that addresses issues of sexual identity for the singer, who identifies himself as transgender.

That was a heavy moment, in a night full of them, but not one without a counterpoint. Balance would be struck, in a big way, when Hegarty pulled out a surprise cover of the R&B smash “Crazy in Love.”

“Beyonce is amazing,” the vocalist said. “I’ve listened to that song a 5 trillion times.”

More Noise Pop
The 17th annual Noise Pop runs through Sunday, offering up dozens of cool bands at various venues throughout San Francisco. Here are our picks for some shows worth checking out. For more information on these gigs, or any other Noise Pop events, check out www.noisepop.com.

Martha Wainwright: Rufus’ sister, and the daughter of folk singers Loudon Wainwright and Kate McGarrigle, this Montreal native is blessed with a wondrous voice, one capable of handling everything from folk to country to rock to the Great American Songbook. AA Bondy, Ryan Auffenberg and Karina Denike fill out the bill.
8 tonight, Slim’s, 333 11th St., $12

St. Vincent: The singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist, whose real name is Annie Clark, makes indie art-rock that is often described as “cinematic” and “orchestral.” She is set to share the stage with Cryptacize, Rafter and That Ghost.
8 p.m., Friday, Great American Music Hall, 859 O’Farrell St., $16

Bob Mould: Not what you’d call a hot young act, Mould was the guiding force behind the influential ‘80s band Husker Du. He also captained the great ‘90s outfit Sugar and has managed to put together an interesting solo career. He’s joined by Mark Eitzel, Donovan Quinn and Jason Finazzo.
7:30 p.m., Saturday, Swedish-American Hall, 2170 Market St., $20.

Portugal. The Man: The fuzzy, funky psychedelic-rock band from Wasilla, Alaska (which, by the way, also happens to be Sarah Palin’s home) was one of the best acts that I caught at last year’s South by Southwest music festival. Japanese Motors, Girls, Love is Chemicals and Agent Ribbons are also on the bill.
8 p.m., Saturday, Café du Nord, 2170 Market St., $13

Les Savy Fav: The quintet’s front man, Tim Harrington, is famous for his onstage antics, which have ranged from wearing wild costumes to making orangutan impersonations. It’s a perfect match for the group’s wildly eclectic, and danceable, take on noise-rock. The Mae Shi and the Drums also appear.
8 p.m., Sunday, Mezzanine, 444 Jesse St., $20